Introducing Solid Foods
Based on content from JOHNSON'S® Everyday Babycare: Feeding Your Baby, DK Publishing Inc., 2004
In earlier times, it was recommended that you start your baby on solid foods when she was between four and six months of age. However, experts now believe that babies need nothing more than breast milk (or formula if you're not breastfeeding) for the first six months of their lives. If your baby seems dissatisfied after her usual breast milk or formula feeding and is less than six months old, try to satisfy her by breastfeeding more often (or by giving formula more often) or talk to your pediatrician.
Why Does Your Baby Need Solid Foods?
At around six months of age, milk alone may no longer satisfy her physical needs. Solid foods provide the key nutrients, such as iron, that her body may now require. Introducing your baby to solids is also her first step toward enjoying healthy food and discovering that sharing meals is fun. Your baby is becoming more independent - she is learning how to sit up unaided and to grab what she wants; she loves to put things in her mouth, and she wants to be included in everything. Learning how to eat solid food and joining in family meals are the next steps on her journey to independence.
Getting a Little Messy
Feeding your baby solid foods can create a bit of a mess - a lot of the food will come right back out of her mouth and she'll love to get her hands on the spoon and dish. But that's all part of her learning process! Here are a few tips to deal with the inevitable mess:
- Always put a washable bib on your baby before each mealtime.
- Spread a mess mat or newspaper on the floor under her baby chair.
- Keep lots of kitchen towels and null on hand for wiping up. These disposable washcloths from JOHNSON'S® have the gentle HEAD-TO-TOE® baby cleanser built right in.
- Keeping a garbage bag on hand.
- Between meals, you can also use JOHNSON'S® SOOTHING NATURALS™ Soothe & Protect Balm to soothe and help prevent any dryness that occurs on your baby's face and cheeks.
Taking it slow
When you start introducing new solid foods, it's very important to offer only one new food at a time, and to feed that exclusively for a couple of days before trying another. Offering one food at a time, and only one new food every two or three days, has two advantages:
- Your baby can get used to each new taste and texture.
- If there are any signs of an allergic reaction - such as a tummy ache, diarrhea or rashes - you will more readily identify which food was the culprit.
Diaper Rash
As your baby is introduced to new foods, she may experience a bout of diarrhea, which can lead to diaper rash. If your baby does experience diarrhea, avoid the food she last had for a while - it may be that she cannot digest that particular food yet. Try again in a few weeks' time. If diarrhea occurs, consult your pediatrician, change diapers more frequently, and use a diaper rash preventative treatment containing petrolatum, such as DESITIN® Creamy to create a barrier against wetness and irritants. Since diaper rash is so common when introducing solid foods, use DESITIN® Creamy every day and with every diaper change. If your baby already has a rash, choose a product with zinc oxide and other ingredients that soothe the skin and help promote healing, such as DESITIN® Original Ointment. And don't forget about yourself. If changing diapers and all that hand washing is leaving your skin a bit dry, try using JOHNSON'S® SOFTCREAMTM Extra Care Healing Hand Cream, a mild, allergy tested cream that moisturizes for up to 24 hours and leaves your skin baby soft.
Your Baby Still Needs Milk
Your baby is not ready to give up the breast or bottle just because she starts eating solid food. To begin with, she'll simply be getting used to new tastes and textures and much of what you put in her mouth will come straight back out, so she still needs her full supply of breast milk or formula. In fact, this will be an important source of nutrition for her until she is one year old.
A Comprehensive Guide
For a complete guide to introducing solid foods, including information on which foods to begin with and which to avoid, as well as additional tips and expert advice on feeding your baby, click here to download content from JOHNSON'S® Everyday Babycare - Feeding Your Baby from DK Publishing Inc.
